The Portland daily press., 1887-07-13
THE ENTERPRISE AND BOXER.
Further Particulars OF these Two
Celebrated Ships-Some Facts In
Regard to the Boxers Cannon.

To the Editor Of the Press:
have read with much interest the articles
OF j. p. b. and w. II. S. in reference to the
Enterprise and Boxer, and can perhaps give
a little nformation.on some of the points
raised.
In 179S, owing to the depredatons of the
French on our commerce, war seemed immi-
nent and there was much activity in impro-
vising and constructing navy. A number
of ships were bnilt by subscriptions in sew
eral of the maritime cities, and presented to
the general government; others were built
by authority of Congress and still others
were purchased from the merchant service
ana RENTED for the purposes of war. Among
the vessels authorized by Congress were the
Enterprise and Experiment, of - guns each.
VI these the Enterprise was built In Balti-
more, was launched in 1899, was schooner
OF 135 tons, had battery of - six Founders.
and carried a crew of 90 men. In 1900 III der
the command of Lieutenant Shaw she cap
tured six heavily armed French privateers-
one of them the ''Flambeau," being superior
to herself in armament and tonnage-and re-
captured eleven American vessels. She did
such gallant service that at the reduction of
the navy in 1901, after the close of the war,
she was one of the fourteen vessels retained
by act of Congress and, under the command
of Lieut. Commandant Sterret, was ordered
to join Commodore Dale's squadron In the
Mediterranean. In this year she captured
the Tripolitan corsair as related by W. H. S.
In 1903 Lieut. Commandant Hull succeeded
to her command, and was himself succeeded
some months later by Lieut.. .Commandant
Decatur. Under the latter gallant officer
she was one of Commodore Preble's fleet be-
fore Tripoli. In February. 1904, her officers
and crew volunteered, to man, to go into
the harbor of Tripoli and destroy the frigate
lphia-which had been captured BY
the Tripolitans-and picked crew of them
commanded by Lieut.. Comnandant. Decatur
successfully accomplished that hazardous
undertaking. During the remainder of that
year she did gallant service at the blockade
and bombardment of Tripoli and afterwards
under the command of Lieut.. Cammandant
Robinson formed part of the squadron of
Commodore Barron and Rodgers till the
close of the war.
In 1911 she was rebuilt enlarged and rig
ged as brig. She then tonned 165 tons, and
carried an armament of IA eighteen pound
cannonades and long mines, which was her
armament in 1913 in the action with the
Boxer. After this action she was employed
as guardship in Charleston, S. c., for the
remainder OF the war and was lost on the
Island OF Little Curawa, West Indies, in
1923.
There are no records of the exact tonnage
or armament of the Boxer. Contemporary
writers speak of her as being one third larg-
er than the Enterprise. Our older citizens
tell me that she was of about 225 tons which
is Dr0DaDlV nearly p0rrppf She a1co hx
common report, much the superior of the En-
terprise in sailing qualities. Lieut.. McCall's
official report speaks of her as vessel of
fourteen guns, list of captures during the
war gives her armament as IA eighteen
pound cannonades; other reports say that
she had sixteen or eighteen guns. A water
color painting of her, now extant, shows her
to be pierced for seven guns on side be-
sides the bridgeport But twelve cannon
were sold at marshaPs sale, and it is prob
able that the missing cannon were so injured
In the action as to be rendered useless, or
were included in the articles retained for the
use OF the U. ). briggs Enterprise-and Rattle
snake, amounting respectively to 1886 and
$l1S4, of which we have n0inventory
The official report STAKES that the Boxer
was repeatedly hulled. that her top-gallant
forecastle was neary Shot away and that sew
eral OF her guns were dismounted and rem
dered unit for service. In fitting her for
the merchant Service her top-gallant fore
castle and hammock MEETINGS were removed
and she appears in the painting as low
wasted, Aush-ueck vessel
ohn Is l psobable t s Ct tie Cd Cannon
an oUG hoard caniay claim to ever having been
.sar.s- = of her. They perhaps belonged to
Scsifc priyateer. of which there were many
out OF this port in 1912, or to some mer-
chant vessel, many of which were armed in
those days as a protection against pirates.
Neither the Walden gun nor the Central
wharf gun, mentioned by j. p. b., are car
ronades. The former is a comparatively
modern style gun, and was probably cast not
earlier than 1870 The latter is gun of ear
lier make, apparently cast at private foun-
dry, and is said to have come out of an old
vessel belonging to the late Daniel Fox. The
so-called Boxer" gun, belonging to Bos-
worth Post, can lay no greater claim to hon
or than that it formed part of the armament
of the low-decked West India brig Milo, be-
longing to the late Thomas Merrill, the pur-
chaser of the Boxer. When it no longer be-
came necessary to arm his vessels, Mr.. Mer-
rill had this gun, with others, removed to the
cellar of one of his stores on Fore street, and
on his failure in 1887. it passed into the pos
session of the late John Mussev, with the
building in which it was stored, and was by
him given to Bosworth Post have been
Informed by older members of our family
that the Boxer was lost on the coast of Bra
Zil. in what wear is not known n ri I